Fence tightening and holding means



Nov. 9 1926.

' J. A. HERGESHEIMER FENCE TIGHTENING AND HOLDIQNG MEANS Filed March 1, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet lnvgntor Nov. 9', 1926.

J. A. HERGESHEIMER FENCE TIGHTENING AND HOLDING MEANS Filed March 1; 1926 2' Sheets-Sheet :1 F

Inventor I M flezyeskzrr/az;

Patented Nov. '9, 1926.

f ll? mean FENCE TIGHTENING AND HOLDING liIEANS.

Application filed March 1, 1926.

With the foregoing in mind, the invention in all of its details will be fully understood from the followlng descriptlon and claim when the same are read in connection with the drawings, accompanying and forming part of this specification, in wh1ch:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation showing my improvement as properly arranged relative to a woven wire fence.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the same.

Figures 3 and 1 are horizontal sections taken in the planes indicated by the lines 3 3 and M, respectively, of Figure 1.

Figures 5, 6 and 7 are detail views illus trative of the upright turnable shaft of my improvement and certain features pertinent thereto.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all of the views of the drawings.

The woven wire fence 1 illustrated may be of any construction to which my improvement is applicable. T

Among other elements my improvement comprises an upright shaft 2 of wood, cast iron, or other material compatible with its purpose. The said shaft 2 has a lower portion of circular cross-section, and in said portion 2 and extending from the lower end thereof up to the point designated by 3 in Figure 5, is a diamctrical slot or kerf 4:. The said diametrical slot or kerf 1 is designated to receive the fence 1 when the shaft is moved downwardly on the fence and in straddling relation thereto. After the shaft is placed on the fence in the manner indicated, bolts 5 are placed in apertures in the shaft and at right angles to the slot or kerf 4 and are secured in position by nuts 6 which are tightened so that the shaft will not split or break incident to operation of the improvement.

It will also be noticed by comparison of Figures 5, 6 and 7 that the shaft'is provided with two diagonal bores 6 and 7, the bore 6 being disposed in a vertical plane parallel to that of the kerf or slot 4, and

Serial No. 91,558.

- right'angles to that of the slot or kerf 4:.

A steel plug 8 is designed to be used in one of the bores indicated for a purpose hereinafter described, or if deemed expedient steel plugs such as 8 may be employed in both of the said bores 6 and 7.

At 9 the shaft is provided with rical aperture, and above the said aperture 9 the shaft isprovided with a portion 10, ofnngular cross-section, which is merged, by preference, into a reduced end portion 11, apertured at 12, thesaid aperture being for the reception of a removable pin 13.

A pin 14 is inserted in the aperture 9 of theshaft and upon said pin 1a is superposed an annular washer 15, above which and receiving the circular portion of the shaft is an arm 16. Adj acent to its free end the said arm 16 is equipped with two pendent lugs 17, designed to rest at opposite sides of the top wire of the fence 1, after the manner made clear in Figures 1 and 2. Superposed upon the arm 16 and keyedto and removable from the angular portion 10 of the shaft is a ratchet disk 18, and pivotally mounted at 19 on the arm 16 in position to engage .the said ratchet disk 18 is a dog 20 backed by a spring 21. A washer 22 surmounts the ratchet disk'lS and arranged immediately above said washer 22 is a second ratchet disk designatedby 23, the disk 23 being arranged under a long lever 24 which is detachably held on the shaft portion 11. by the pin 13 and is provided at its underside with a dog 25, arranged to engage the ratchet disk 23 and backed by a spring 26.

In the practical use of my improvement the shaft described is placed in straddling a di amet relation on the fence after which the bolts 5 are disposed in the shaft and the nuts 6 are tightened, and it will be noted that incident to the downward movement of the shaft into engagement with the fence, the

pendent lugs 17 on the arm 16 will be posi the operator will be attended by step by step rotation cf the shaft about its axis, and when the shaft is so rotated the fence will be strongly tightened, and this with the X- ercise of bu little effort on the partof the operator. The lever 24; is manipulated until the fence is as tight as designed, whereupon the operator inserts the steel plug 8 either in the bore 6 or in the bore 7 of the shaft, depending upon the point at which the best purchase can be secured in the fence to enable the pin or plug 8 to hold the roller or shaft against rotation, the bores 6 and 7 being positioned as indicated so that one end of the pin or plug 8 will catch in the mesh of the fence above, and the other end of the pin or plug will catch in the mesh below the bore while the intermediate portion engages in the mesh disposed in the kerf 4t. iVith the fence tightened and secured through the medium of a pin or plug 8 in the manner described, the operator removes all of the elements from the upper portion of the shaft and leaves the shaft in the fence, with the bolts 5 and the plug or pin 8 in the shaft, and the operator then moves on to another point in the length of the fence where it is desired to perform the tightening operation, at which point he places another shaft similar to that illustrated and described and repeat the operation set forth.

Manifestly when desired my improvement may be used as a wire stretchen'small cable being inserted at the top and bottom of the shaft, and the shaft being operated in tne same manner as when employed to tighten. a fence in the manner described, the cable incident to the turning of the shaft being caused to wind around the shaft and stretch the wire'to the tension desired. It will be apparent from the foregoing that my improvement is susceptible of expeditious and easy application, and is adapted to be operated with but little effort on the part of a workman, and when so operated may be depended upon to adequately tighten a fence after which the fence may be secured in a taut state in the manner described.

The construction illustrated and described constitutes the'best practical embodiment of my invention of which I am aware, and is therefore preferrec; I do not desire, however, to be understood as restricting myself to the precise construction and relative arrangement of elements as disclosed, my invent-ion being defined by my appended claim within the scope of which modifications in structure and in arrangement may be made without departure from my inventzon.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by lietters Patent, 1SZ 1 Tire fence tightening and holding means comprising a shaft having a kerf for receiving a mesh wire fence and also having a diagonal bore, an arm mounted on the shaft and having means to engage said fence from swinging said arm, a ratchet disk keyed to the shaft, a dog carried by said arm and arranged to engage and cooperate with the said disk, asecond ratchet disk keyed to the shaft, a lever swingab'le' on the sl'iaft, a dog carried by said lever and arranged to engage and cooperate with the second named ratchet disk whereby the lever may be oscillated to impart intermittent rotation to the shaft for winding the mesh wire fence thereon, and a pin insertable in the diagonal bore of the shaft to pass through the mesh wire fence in the kerf and said pin being of such a length that its ends extend outwardly from the shaft to extend through the mesh fence coiled about the shaft for preventing unwinding of the coiled portion. 7

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

JOHN A. HERGESHEIMER. 

